Thailand has reported a new coronavirus infection, bringing the total number to 43. The latest victim is a 22-year-old Thai woman who worked as an assistant tour guide along with another patient, a driver who transported foreign tourists. The woman has been hospitalized.
The number of infections in Thailand is remarkably low. A possible explanation for this is that there may be thousands of cases spread across the country, but since the vast majority are better after a few days, there does not seem to be much to worry about.
Health Minister Anutin says Thailand has enough medicines to treat Covid-19 patients. If the situation worsens, more medicines will have to be imported from China. "The Thai authorities are confident in the treatment, because 28 of the 43 patients have already been cured," said the minister.
The treatment against the corona virus will be included in the UHC national insurance, the board of the National Health Security Office decided on Monday. The required budget of 3,5 billion baht is taken from a fund for disasters.
Mouth caps and hand gel scarce in Thailand
Stocks of face masks and hand sanitizers in Thailand ran out last month and pharmacists don't know when new supplies will become available. Extortionate prices are asked on the internet, for example an N-95 mask that normally costs 80 to 95 baht is sold online for 190 to 200 baht. Green and blue masks for 15 to 20 baht against normal 4 baht.
Director General Whichai of the Internal Trade Department says demand for face masks outstrips supply five times. Thai manufacturers can only make 1,35 million caps per day. There is a shortage of raw materials from China, which now have to be imported from Indonesia, which increases production costs.
Commerce Minister Jurin has instructed his department to set up 111 mobile outlets in various locations across the country, including 21 in Bangkok and the surrounding area. They come into operation on Thursday. Each outlet sells 10.000 copies daily, the caps cost 2,5 baht each, everyone can buy a maximum of a set of four. So far, 51 people have been caught selling them at extortionate prices. They face up to seven months in prison and a maximum fine of 140.000 baht.
Coronavirus in the Netherlands and Belgium
Eighteen people are now infected in the Netherlands, eight in Belgium, and almost 90.000 worldwide. In total, 3.000 people have died from the virus, more than 45.000 people have been cured.
The WHO has issued the highest risk warning in connection with the corona virus, but does not yet want to speak of a pandemic. We are working hard to limit the spread. “When we say there is a pandemic, we are actually accepting that everyone on earth will come into contact with the virus,” a WHO spokesman recently said. “The available data does not justify this at the moment.”
Other news about the Coronavirus
- China reports the lowest number of new infections since the start of the outbreak: 125 cases have been added. There are a total of 80.151 patients there. There are eighteen cases confirmed by RIVM in the Netherlands, more than 90.000 worldwide. More than half of them have recovered; at least 3117 people have died.
- In South Korea, the number of corona infections rose for the second time in a day, this time by 374. Earlier in the day, it had already been announced that 600 new cases had been added. The total now stands at 5186 confirmed infections. Most of the patients are linked to the controversial Shincheonji Church.
- The COVID-19 virus has been diagnosed for the first time in Ukraine, the local health authorities announced on Tuesday. The infected man ended up in hospital on Saturday after traveling from Italy via Romania to the Ukrainian city of Chernivtsi.
- In Italy, 52 people have now died from the consequences of the corona virus. 149 people have also been cured of the coronavirus infection. The total number of infections in Italy is now at 2.036.
- One of the six new cases of infection in Belgium yesterday was detected in Sint-Niklaas, 15 kilometers from the border with Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, the Zeeuwse Courant reports. The patient reported on Sunday evening with symptoms of the virus. For the time being, the man is doing well, who has to be isolated at home for two weeks now.
Interesting that Thailand has medicines against Corona virus, while the rest of the world is still searching for a vaccine. Equally interesting is that more medicines can be imported from China (sic!)
Face masks don't seem to work, but it looks good...
In short, use your OWN common sense and don't believe (almost) anything on the internet; the lion's share is fake 🙂
Medicine and vaccine are 2 very different things.
If the virus does not spread in Thailand, this means that corona will not last long in warm places (same for flu virus). Hopefully that is the case.
It may also be that the virus does not sit with this government.
Most experts say this is nonsense. Also look at the spread of the virus in the Middle East.
Whether Corona does not survive in warm places will soon become clear when temperatures rise to forty degrees in Thailand. I hope so because the whole hype only leads to unrest. I do notice how Corona is compared to the flu. A gross underestimation in my opinion without wanting to cause panic. Far from it. Precisely because of that comparison, there is a risk that Corona is underestimated. Corona seems to have a much higher contamination factor (Influenza 1,2 Corona perhaps 2 to possibly factor 4). An essential difference. With the flu, a patient infects at most another person. With Corona 2 possibly 4 healthy people. The way in which Corona tries to penetrate the body is fundamentally different from the flu. In short, Corona looks more like SARS than an influenza virus.
Without going into too much detail, I think that the core of the fight lies in prevention. Simple tips with an emphasis on washing hands and avoiding gatherings in Corona areas. In my opinion, a mouth mask has a limited value. What bothers me is the comparison with influenza. There are vaccines for influenza. Not for corona at the moment. HIV inhibitors or Chloroquine have yet to prove their usefulness. The greatest danger does not lie in fake news, but in downplaying preventive measures. Measures that hardly cost anything. Personally, I think that Thailand escapes the dance because of the climate (provided one is careful with the careless repatriation of illegal Thai workers from Korea / a big issue among the Thai population itself). 900 students reside in Northern Italy and put personal pleasure above all else. Especially when one considers that the majority of Dutch cases of infection stayed in Northern Italy. Daily contact with the RIVM (a hopelessly outdated institute) offers no protection whatsoever. Maybe a nightcap
As Jules says, "use your own common sense"
You don't have to attach any value to fables or fake news about medicines, but it must be said that Thailand has some excellent measures, such as temperature control in the MRT, but also, for example, if you go to the Makro.
Moreover, Thailand has a good health system and hospitals.
My experiences with my family doctor are certainly as good as in the Netherlands,
And, … no, no long waiting times, not even in the government hospital.
I have heard from a reliable source, what is a source and then also a reliable one, in Thailand, that a 3~5 year old man died of the flu Corona last weekend. I have also found that the Thai governments are very economical with providing information related to Corona. Ban for panic and a negative effect on the economy. And the economy is the most important, not only in Thailand.
This government (as well as others around the world) still don't understand that honesty is the best policy AND that they were elected by the people and sworn to do their best for them. Withholding the truth or lying does not stop there.
Was on Thailand blog anyway..... so reliable source 😉
https://www.thailandblog.nl/nieuws-uit-thailand/update-coronavirus-16-eerste-dode-in-thailand/
https://www.thailandblog.nl/nieuws-uit-thailand/coronavirus-twijfels-over-de-doodsoorzaak-van-thaise-man/
True, the 35-year-old man had dengue fever and corona, not a happy combination. He worked at King Power, so vague and direct contact with the Chinese.
This has been in the news in several places.